Keeping it Positive
 
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  -Ephesians 4:29, ESV

Ever used a comment card at a restaurant?  Was it good or bad?  Do you think the comment box is usually stuffed with bad or good?  A comedian recently said that he used to wish he had telepathy so he'd know what people were thinking.  Now we have social media and he doesn't wish that any more.  Given the opportunity to express in an instant how we feel to thousands of people, are we encouraged to be thoughtful or reactionary?

Twitter and Instagram and Pinterest and others allow you to "follow" people or topics or boards who you want to hear this constant stream of thought and reaction and reflection and creativity.  You can choose those who are positive or negative.  Facebook connects you mostly to the people you were already assigned as family or chose as friends.  It was inevitable that Facebook, after creating a newsfeed would then have to create the "unfollow" function.  It turns out, we don't want to hear or see the every thought and opinion of even those we love.  It's the technical equivalent of "Honey, don't bring up politics, college football, or reality TV when we go to their house for dinner."

We can choose as much with our social media presence as our IRL (in real life) presence to be loving, kind, and a witness to God and the Gospel.  We can choose each day to post about the bad drivers and frustrations and use it as a medium to vent indiscriminately to our "followers."  Or we can choose the high road.  We can choose to post the stories of inspiration and random acts of kindness.  We can post about our righteous indignation at the true injustices of the world AND how we see people working to make this world better.

Recently, one Facebook app allowed you to click and see a visual representation of your most used words on Facebook.  I was happy with what I saw.  But that's the result of a few years of very intentional effort to be positive in my social media world.  If you are a believer IRL, be one in your social media life.  Be kind, show love, extend grace, and make people curious to know why you are that way.  This week, make an effort to share things that inspire you and encourage others.  Your digital life will continue to exist, even when your physical one does not.  Make it one worthy of the call you have as a child of God.

Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to make my life and my digital life a witness to you.  Help me to always be humble and kind, to give grace, and show others love through creativity, inspiration, and encouragement.  Amen.